Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gateway of Dreams
by GatewayofDreamsFan-Fic
Summary: Edge, a 12 year old boy who isn't very happy with his life, has a series of dreams where he is turned into a Pokémon. With his new-found friend, he discovers more about his role, travels to places you can't even imagine, and fights to protect the world that is worth living in for him. Two lives, which will he chose?
1. Darkness

I'm not known to have many friends. In fact, I don't have any at all. I can only really depend on myself and my family. My parents say I should get out more and get off the computer, but the thing is...  
I'm afraid to go out. I'm afraid that everyone will pick on me, like they always have. They make me feel bad about myself, make me think that there is nothing left for me in this world. I don't go out because I'm reminded of how lonely I am.

My name is Edge. I'm 12 years old and I adore video games. I love how they work, how the game makes you want to be part of everything that happens. My favourite by far has to be the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. Especially Explorers of Sky. The character building is holding a record at the moment. No game is more emotional than this. I feel like the in-game partner is my real life friend (if I had one).

My life is pretty plain. Wake up during the week, get ready for school, 6 hours of boredom, and I head back home. But it's always when I'm walking back when they find me. A whole gang of losers how only care about themselves. One of them even used to be my best friend. We met in primary school, during Anti-Bullying week. When I first heard about it, I thought it meant that all of the bullies would be allowed to roam free and do whatever they liked. The whole week before, I was trying to think of a way to 'Stop Anti-Bullying week'. That's when I met Alex. He was also worried. Together, we tried to brainstorm some ideas, but it was too late. We sat next to eachother the next day in assembly, when the teacher announced that it was Anti-Bullying week, and explained that they hoped that everyone would help with the projects to 'Stop Bullying'. Me and Alex looked at eachother, finally realising it. God, we were dumb.

I walk through the door, go to my room, and dump my bag on my bed. I sit down next to it, and think about my day.  
1) Worst subjects  
2) Forgot my homework and got told off. Again  
3) Got picked on again  
Yet another crappy day at school. I decide to take my mind off it by playing Portal on my laptop. Puzzle games make my concentrate so much, I forget almost everything I was thinking about before. I'm almost at the final chamber where you (spoiler alert) battle GLaDOS. I'm determined to get past that room full of turrets this time, I've been stuck on it for ages.

9 o'clock. Time to sleep. I lie in my bed, the thick blanket covering me to my chest. I remember the time when me and Alex were friends, a happy thought always helps me get to sleep. But I'm always reminded about how lonely I am. I remember that everyone is against me. Every night, when I do manage to fall asleep, there is a tear in my eye. And tonight was no exception. There are tear-drops flowing down my cheeks. I grip onto the necklace Dad gave me before he died. I'll never take this off. I feel stronger when I grip it, as if Dad is helping me through. I feel a little more better now. And with that, I slowly close my eyes...  
and drift into sleep.

I think I can hear my alarm going off. I try to open my eyes, but I can't. I can't even move. What's going on? Normally, I'd have got out of bed and turned the alarm off by now, but I can't do anything. My body doesn't feel right, like it isn't mine. My hearing improves slightly, and instead of my alarm, I hear chirping. Am I outside? How did I get out here? I weakly manage to open my eyes, and I see that I am indeed outside. I can see the swaying trees above me, and I feel the soft grass beneath me.  
Where am I?  
I'm starting to drift off again. Can't stay awake for long. My eyes flutter shut, and the environment around me fades away.

It feels like forever. How long has it been since I passed out? I'm just stuck here in this black space, waiting for something to happen. How did I get in the middle of that forest? Where was that forest? All these questions running through my head, searching for an answer. When all of a sudden, I hear a voice.  
"Hasss he got anything on him?"  
"Nope. No Poké, no berries, nothing." I hear a hissing noise? Was there a snake with those people? It was too loud to be a regular snake, though.  
"I'm getting sssick of this. Either they don't have much, or they don't have anything at all. We should sssstop preying on the weak onessss and sssstart to aim for the ssstronger looking Pokemon." Is this guy crazy? Pokemon aren't real. But putting that aside, by the way he's talking, I think he might be mugging me.  
"What about this necklace? You think it'll sell for a good price?"  
"Nah. Let's just leave thissss weakling to die. He'sss hardly breathing."  
And the voices stopped.

What happened just now? What did that guy mean by 'Hardly breathing'. Was this darkness death? Was I just a corpse under a tree, where no-one could find me? I feel fear. I've always been afraid of what happens after death. Was this the answer? Eternal darkness? Lost in my thoughts, I see a glimpse of light in the distance, and a voice emanating from it. I'm drawn closer, feeling fresh air coming from the light. I start to hear the birds chirping again, and that same voice. I go through, and everything begins.

"Are you OK?"


	2. Chase

The sunlight is blinding. My vision is blurry. But I can still hear that voice calling out to me. My eyes start to adjust, and I can see the forest around me once more.  
"Oh, thank Arceus, you're awake! You weren't breathing, so I thought you were... Well, that doesn't matter now. You're alive and well!" I see a figure standing beside me, presumably where the noise came from. I focus in on the figure, and to my disbelief...  
a Chimchar is standing next to me. And it was talking.  
"How did you end up unconscious here in the first place?" I sit up.  
"Y-You're a Pokemon. Pokemon aren't real." The Chimchar tilted its head sideways a bit.  
"Well... If Pokemon aren't real, then why are you here, Snivy?"  
Did he just call me a Snivy? Can't he see that I'm human?

"You're acting pretty strange. You sure that you're OK, Snivy?"  
"Why do you keep calling me that? I'm a human, can't you see?"  
"... A human? But you look like an ordinary Snivy from where I'm standing."  
I raise my hand to show him that I'm human, but instead of flesh, I see two long leaves. I check the rest of my body, my chest, my feet. Nothing is similar. I even have a tail. Then I finally realise it.  
I've turned into a Snivy.

"Sooo, what's your name?"  
"My name? Oh, right. My name is Edge."  
"Edge... That's a strange name. But it sounds cool in a way. My name is Chase. Nice to meet you!" There is an awkward silence.  
"Hey, Edge. Why did you say that you were human? Were you trying to trick me? Because it's impossible for a human to just turn into a Pokemon, right?"  
"(It's impossible that I'm even talking to you.) Well... I was a human. The last thing I remember is going to sleep, and then I woke up here."  
"Well, you can't really prove that you are human. I don't really believe what you have to say." Great. What am I going to do? If no-one believes me, then how am I going to make it? Other Pokemon would probably think I'm crazy and leave me behind.  
"But... you don't seem that bad. Well, at least nicer than others around here. Do you have somewhere to go tonight?" I shake my head.  
"OK then. If you want, you can stay with me until you can get a house of your own. What do you say?"

I don't really have any options. If I refuse, I'd just be picked to the bone by wild Pokemon. And I don't know how to fight. I guess all I can do is go along with Chase for now.  
"OK. I'll go with you, Chase. You sure it's no problem for you?"  
"Of course not! I'd be happy for you to stay with me! Come one, let's get to Starside Town." And with that,

we were off into a world bursting with nature.


	3. The Pokémon World

It's almost like I'm learning to walk again.  
I'm still trying to get used to my new body. It's hard for me to stay upright. I've lost count of how many times I've tripped over by now.  
"You sure you're OK? You still seem pretty weak..." Chase asked, worryingly.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to get the hang of my new body."  
"New? You've been a Snivy for your whole life, haven't you?" I forgot that Chase didn't believe my story. Then I remember the voices I heard before Chase woke me up.  
"By the way, before you woke me up, I heard some other voices. I think they were bandits or something, because it sounded like they were searching me for mon-" I trip yet again.  
"Searching for what?" Chase says whilst turning around, then seeing me on the ground again. I brush the dirt of my chest. "Searching for money."  
"...Money? What's that?" I'm reminded that Pokemon probably don't have the same things as humans do, or at least don't call them the same as we do.  
"Oh, sorry. I mean Poké."  
"I'm not surprised." Chase responded. "With the Light Sources disappearing, things have become pretty much lawless."  
"The Light Sources? What are they?" I ask, cluelessly.  
"You don't know about the Light Source?! They're what holds this world together! A gift from Arceus to maintain peace! And with them disappearing, darkness is starting to invade the minds of Pokemon again."  
"What's making them disappear?" I ask again.  
"We don't know. It could be Darkrai, although I hope it isn't. And before you ask, Darkrai created the Dark Source, the heart of despair and hate. A polar opposite from the Light Source."  
"I can see that." I reply.

We continue along the trail, when trees to our right start to clear up, showing a vast landscape. The trail was built on a mountain side. The emerald forest below, with the endless, glimmering sea to the right, and the towering mountains ahead. In the centre of the woods is a rainbow like meadow. The view is simply incredible. I don't think you would see anything like this in the human world. Chase notices the amazed expression on my face.  
"If you think this is good, the view from the cliff is gonna blow you away."  
"But isn't this a cliff right here?" I ask.  
"I mean the one at the village. It has a much better angle. The cliff is the reason that the village is called 'Starside Town'. A lot of Pokemon come here to stargaze from the cliff. The view is famous around these parts!"  
"I bet it is. It's hard for me to imagine anything better than this. It's just bursting with nature!" You wouldn't see anything like this in the human world because of all the cities and pollution. It's nothing but purity here.  
"Well here we are, Starside Town." Chase notifies me. I turn my head away from the view, and I see a fence surrounding the village. Through the gate, I see a bustling crowd of different Pokemon. We pass through the gates and enter the busy town of Starside.


	4. Starside Town

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I'm with a talking Chimchar, but now I'm in a crowd of Pokemon ranging from Rattata to Starly. And, of course, they were also talking. I feel out of place, like it's my first day at a new school. I'd better keep my mouth shut about my former human life, because either:  
A) They think I'm crazy and reject me  
B) They think I'm a trouble-maker and never believe anything I say  
"Go and look around the town while I get things ready for you. Don't worry, it's hard to get lost here." Chase told me, before going into a hut that was right next to the gate, presumably his home.  
"Home..." I think to myself, remembering my family. I wonder what was happening in the human world right now. Had someone woken up to the ongoing sound of my alarm, only to find my lifeless body in bed? I try not to think about it, and start to wander further into town.

The town was surrounded by a rectangular fence that had two fences on the inside dividing it into thirds. It was built next to a cliff, and there was a mountain just on the opposite side. In the middle row was Chase's hut, along with some other houses. The further into town the huts went, the more effort was put into their structure. Along the back of town was a market, selling all sorts of items. There was even a Kecleon Mart. In the left side of town, there were some more huts and shops, no different from the rest. There weren't many buildings on the right side, and that was because of the cliff. Chase was right, it was even better than the first view.

There was an incredible view of the never-ending sea, and the glimmering woods below. The meadow seemed closer now, and I could notice a glow coming from the centre. I felt drawn to it, like the light that took me out of the darkness. I hear a voice from behind me, making me jump.  
"In case you're wondering, that light in the meadow is one of the Light Sources. Lucky for us, this one is still intact. So there aren't as many outlaws. But apart from that, I told you that the view was better, didn't I?"  
"Yeah... Yeah you did." I reply, looking into the horizon, thoughts of my family yet again flowing into my mind. What if I never see them again? What if they're mourning my 'death' right now? I blink back some tears, knowing that everyone I care about is sad. Knowing that I never got to say goodbye. The sun starts to set, and Chase and I return to the hut.

Chase's hut had circular outer walls, with a few pots scattered across the floor on the inside, most of the containing berries and such. There was an empty room to the right of the entrance. I guess Chase hasn't found a use for it yet. Once we enter, I see that Chase had prepared a straw bed for me next to his. We settle in as the sunlight fades to darkness. The only source of light is the ember from Chase's backside. There is an awkward silence, which Chase soon breaks.  
"I've never actually seen a Pokemon like you around these parts before. Snivy aren't native in this part of the world. I wonder how you got here..."  
"Well, I don't know either. And it's probably what I want to know the most right now."  
"Just talking about it ain't gonna get us any answers. Let's just sleep and see what we can do about it tomorrow." Chase's flame started to get dimmer and dimmer.  
"Good night, Edge." And with that, Chase went to sleep, and the flame was extinguished. I lie on my new bed, thinking about everything. But then I remember something the one of the bandits said before Chase woke me up.  
"What about this necklace?" I feel around my neck, and I finally notice it.  
The necklace dad gave me followed me here to the Pokemon world.  
How? Surly that's not possible. As far as I know, my spirit was removed from my human form and put into the body of a Snivy. Physical objects wouldn't be able to follow me, right? Then I notice that I'm just getting more questions with no answers. I just forget about it, and drift to sleep.

I wake up later, to the sound of a loud beeping noise. My alarm. I look around, and find myself back in the familiar surroundings of my room.  
It was just a dream.


	5. Life as a Human

I've felt dizzy ever since I woke up. That was too real to be a dream. Sure, it was pretty fantastic how there were Pokemon, but the feeling, the sounds, the sights...  
It was so real.  
I'm glad that I'm still with my family. I don't think I would be able to leave them and never come back. I'm still confused by most things. But I try not to think about it, and I carry on with my school day. Man, I wish I could see the view from the cliff again. There's something I'll never forget.

To get home from school, I have to pass down an ally. Normally, if I hurry, I can get home without any trouble. But I was too slow today.  
Alex and his gang were waiting for me.  
I try to get past without paying any attention of them, but one of them tries to trip me up. I stutter a little, and then carry on, still trying to ignore them.  
"Oh, I think he's gone blind! So what happened, looked at your screen for too long?" I still ignore them. They start to follow after me.  
"And he's deaf. Spent too much time in that room of his, he doesn't know what the outside sounds like anymore!" I leave the ally, the others still trailing me.  
"Don't they teach you manners? It's rude to ignore people. Or did your mum who never gave a crap about you forget to say?" I'm slightly hurt by this, but I carry on.  
"Answer us, asshole!" I hear Alex say. He grabs my necklace and tugs it back, choking me slightly. NO ONE touches the necklace like that and gets away with it. I turn around, freeing the necklace from Alex's grip, and slam my fist against his upper right arm. I look at him, and realise how much trouble I've gotten myself into.  
"Oh, were gonna f**king smash your face in now."

I walk through the door, making sure mum doesn't see my ripped sleeve and nosebleed. I put my bag in my room, change my clothes, and wash my face to wash away the dry blood. I look at my reflection in the mirror, and I see that I also have a black eye. That's gonna be hard to hide from mum. I go back into my room, and take my homework out of my bag. Or what's left of it. Bloody savages, going through my bag like that. I'm just glad that I still have the necklace on me. I don't know what I would do without it. It's the last thing I have to remind me about dad. I try to find homework that hasn't been ripped apart, and went on with my day.

Around 9 o'clock, I started to feel sleepy. So I shut my laptop and went to brush my teeth. I feel more and more drowsy as I come back. I climb onto bed, and I start hearing a voice. It sounds familiar. But a voice? Where was it coming from? As the voice gets louder, I feel more sleepy. Until eventually, I fall unconscious in bed. I then wake up, the voice still calling out. It sounds faint, but I can still make out what it's saying.  
"Hey, Edge. Are you OK?" The voice is familiar. I open my eyes, and I find myself in a hut. And there is a Chimchar standing by my side.

"Chase?"


	6. Outlaws

My body feels strange again. That same feeling as when I first woke up. I was back in the dream?

"Hey, Edge. Did you have a nosebleed overnight? 'Coz there's dry blood under your nose."

A nosebleed? I feel under my nose, which is now further away from where it was on my human body, and there was indeed dry, cracked blood. Strange, but not as strange as me having this dream again. I wonder if I'm so lonely that my subconscious is making all this up.

"Hey, you OK?"

"Oh, I'm fine, sorry. You sleep well?" I can't really think of anything else to say.

"Yup. Slept like a log, as always." Chase grins slightly.

I look into his fire-red eyes. I've always thought that the colour of your eyes show your personality. I have blue eyes, usually the colour of something calm, like the ocean or the sky. And sure enough, I'm calm most of the time. Chase has red eyes, so he must be kind of hot-headed and always ready for action, but still likes to help out.

"Oh, I was wondering if you wanted me to show you around, since you've lost your memory 'n all."

When did I say that I lost my- Oh right. He doesn't believe that I'm human. And since I woke up in that spot with no idea how I got there, it's no wonder he would think that. I guess I'll just have to play along until I can prove that I'm human.

"OK, sure. But I've already seen most of the village. What are you gonna show me?"

"Well, there are some places outside Starside town that I'd like to show you. There're also some great place to find berries."

By the time I get up, Chase has opened the door and is outside. He's definitely hot-headed, that's for sure. I run after him, slightly stumbling whilst still trying to get the hang of this body again.

* * *

We leave the village, and run along the trail. The trees clear up again, revealing the same view as before. But I don't take much notice of it, since the view from Starside Town is much better. We rush past the opening where Chase woke me up, with the cliff wall to my right. It doesn't go very high, but it would take a while to reach the summit of the entire mountain. Past the opening, there is a split path. One going down the mountain, the second going along the mountain, and the third going up the mountain. Chase goes up the third path, and I continue to follow. The trees overhead shade us from the sunlight, making the climb slightly more bearable. A Starly and Staravia fly out of one of the trees, startling me slightly.

"You're easily scared, aren't you?" Chase asks.

"Huh? Oh, it's not that. It's just that everything is new to me."

Chase doesn't reply, since he probably thinks it's because of my "Memory loss". My stomach starts to rumble, and I realise that I'm really hungry. But I just had dinner. Chase turns around after hearing the rumbling. He chuckles.

"Don't worry, there's a berry field up ahead. It's where we were going in the first place. I haven't eaten either since I found you."

I realise that now that I'm (probably) in a different body, the meal I had in the human world wouldn't have fed this Snivy. I wonder what berries taste like... Hopefully there's an Oran berry or something in the field.

"Oh! What's that?" Chase says, looking closer to an object further down the side of the path. I go ahead, and I see the object rustling. It was another Pokémon. A Starly.

"Hey... You OK, there?" The Pokémon shivers.

"Pl-Please help me..."

I approach the Pokémon, and I then see that it is injured. There is fresh blood slowly dripping out of a scratch in it's wing.

"Ah! Chase! This Pokémon is hurt! We have to take it back to the village!" I shout out. Chase comes over, gasping as he sees the injured Starly.

"H-How did this happen to you?" The Pokémon is still shaking.

"My... My brother is still..." The Starly goes silent. Chase asks me if I can pick it up with my vines. At first I don't know what he means, but then I realise that he means the vines that a grass type would use for a Vine Whip attack. I think about telling him that I don't know how, but how could I not know if I haven't tried yet? I close my eyes, focus, and I imagine vines sprouting from my shoulders. When I open up my eyes again, I see vines moving slowly above my head. I then feel like I have some more limbs. The vines. I move them around, and when I get the hang of it, I gently pick up the Starly. It feels heavier than I expected.

"OK then, lets get back. We should be quick."

* * *

We walk through the clearing where I woke up once again, nearing the village. The Starly starts to rustle in cradle shape I formed with the vines.

"You should take it easy, OK? We're almost at the village." I tell to reassure the Pokémon. It starts to reply. I thought it would say something like "OK" or "Thank you", but instead it said:

"My brother, he's still fighting the Pokémon who hurt me. We went to get some berries, but they came out of nowhere and attacked me. Brother went after them, but... he hasn't come back."

Chase and I continue to listen,

"Those Pokémon, they took all the berries, and they were attacking other Pokémon who tried to get into the field, taking anything they had afterwards."

"Who were these Pokémon?" Chase asked, seriously.

"I... I didn't see them. It was so quick. P-Please... help my brother. Please!"

Chase looks at me, and I look back, worrying about what he might be thinking.

"Edge, take Starly back to Starside Town. I'm gonna teach those thugs a lesson." And with that, he started to run off in the direction of the fields.

"C-Chase, wait! You can't just go off like that, you have no idea what you're dealing with!" He ignores me, and keeps on running. This is _not_ good. I start running to the village, so I can drop Starly off and go and help Chase.I try and keep the vine cradle as steady a I can. I must have done a good job, because the Starly didn't complain. I go through the gates, but now what? I don't know if this town has a clinic or something (which was highly unlikely), so I decided to drop it off in Chase's hut. I go inside, carefully minding the cradle, and settle the Starly down on my straw bed. I look through some of the pots, and I find an Oran berry. I place it next to the Starly. Now I need something to cover the scratch. I look around, and I see a scarf or something near the door of the empty room. I go over and pick it up, returning to cover the wound. To be honest, I've never seen this much blood. It's not a lot, but it's soaking the feathers on the Pokémon's wing. With the Starly taken care of, I leave the hut and head for the fields, where a fight was obviously waiting.

* * *

I approach the field, thinking about what the fight might be like. What if the attackers we beyond anything we could handle? What if Chase is... I forget about it, and I proceed on to the field. Most of the bushes have been striped of their berries. Some of the leaves have also been ripped where the berry would have been, so whoever removed them must have either been in a hurry, or did it without care. I hear a groaning sound. Medium pitched, almost like me. I look ahead, and see a Staravia, also injured. This one had two, deep bite-marks in it's chest. Like a snake bite. I now know that one of the attackers could either be an Ekans, an Arbok, or a Seviper. Now that would be problematic, since I have a fear of snakes. But beside that, I'm gonna have to take the Staravia back to the village.

"Oh... A-Are you with that Chimchar? He said that you helped my s-sister. I tried to stop him, but he kept going ahead. He's in a fight he can't win right now." The Staravia says, catching me by surprise.

"...Can you tell me who he's fighting against?" I ask.

"An Arbok... and a S-Scyther."

This. Is. Not. Good.

"I shouldn't be saying this, but he needs you right now. Y-You have to help him. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

I can tell this is a lie. He's obviously bleeding out. But if I take him to the village, those Pokémon will finish off Chase. My mind is made up. If I could finish this quickly, maybe we could get this Pokémon back in time. I can't let that Starly down, and I can't let Chase die. I run ahead,

And enter the battlefield...


	7. Battle

The second I come in, a large, purple figure lashes out at me. The Arbok. I see Chase in front of me, but only just before he jumps out the way, avoiding the vicious Pokémon's attack. But Arbok doesn't stop. After missing Chase by a few inches, it sees me and charges. Instinct tells me to get to my right, and I do just that. I avoid the attack, but trip over after dodging. Scrambling to get up before Arbok makes to next move, I see Chase desperately trying to evade the attacks of a a lightning fast Scyther. Chase is griping his arm tightly, and his hand is coloured red. I turn my attention back to Arbok, and unleash a Vine Whip attack. Arbok, too fast for the attacks, moves out the way, and the vines slam onto the ground. It then _bites _into one of them, and starts pulling it in it's direction, dragging me along with it. The pain is sharp, I've never been hurt like this before. I cry out, and realise that Arbok is still pulling me closer.

Trying to put the pain aside, I lift up the other vine, and slam it against the pre-occupied Pokémon. It falls to the ground, the attack not doing that much damage. Just before it's able to get up, I launch a Tackle attack and send it sprawling to the ground again. I try to slam it down with another Vine Whip, but yet again, Arbok bites into it. Both vines are somewhat useless now. Pain rushes through me again, this time more painful than the last. Distracted by the pain, I lurch forward due to Arbok pulling my vines, and I land about a meter away from it. I attempt to get up, but the pain keeps me down. And there would have barely been enough time. The second I fall, I'm wrapped by Arbok's rough, scaled body. As it twists around me, the grip gets tighter, and it gets harder to move, let alone breath. Soon, my head is the only thing that isn't covered. It's to hard for me to breath, Arbok is practically crushing me. It's like a car compactor. I hear Arbok hissing loudly , and in the blurry view my eyes now give me, I see the Cobra Pokémon open it's mouth, revealing the knife shape fangs dripping with venom. This was going to hurt.

But my final thoughts are interrupted by Arbok being knocked aside by Chase. Arbok loosens it's grip, and I manage to wriggle free. I fall on the dirt floor, gasping for air, my body aching from the pressure put on my body. But I'm forced to move again at the sight of the Scyther rushing towards me. It slashes it's scythes at me, but I jump backwards, the blade just missing my head. Talk about no mercy. I try to lift the vines, which are trailing behind me, with no success. It just intensifies the pain. All I can do right now is Tackle. But then I remember something. Snivy's tail can use photosynthesis to help it go faster. And what luck, it's sunny. If I could just keep evading the attacks, the sunlight might boost me up to the same speed as them, giving me somewhat and advantage. I hope.

The endless stream of attacks started to become more bearable as the sunlight was speeding me up. It was working. I could feel my injuries getting better too. Soon I would be able to use Vine Whip again.

"Edge... Luh... Look out..."

The voice is feint, but I'm just able to hear it. I turn around, and see Arbok charging at me, with Chase wrapped in it's tail. Two against one, and I hardly knew how to fight. How could we win this now? Arbok crashes down on top of me. I feel nothing for a second, my body's gone numb. But then the pain comes in. That burning pain of poison spreading through your body. I cry out in sheer agony. I don't want to think it, even though I know that it's true. As Arbok starts to lift his head back up, I rise with him. I'm in the jaws of the oversized and deadly snake. Still crying out, my body goes numb again, but the pain stays. I realise that the numbness is being caused by blood loss. I can see it oozing out of my chest, where Arbok bit into me. It raises it's head, and with a swift movement, drops it down to the floor again, loosening it's grip on me in the process. I'm slammed onto the floor, unable to do anything. I can only watch as the Arbok and Scyther come closer to finish me off. They seem to be slower than usual. Everything does. Has time slowed down or something? This feeling is unbearable, and with everything slowed down, it doesn't really help a lot. I just want them to finish me off, so I don't have to deal with the pain anymore. I can't move at all. The numbness and the pain have made it impossible. Chase and I...

...We were going to die.

In the midst of my despair, a spot a figure flying through the sky, followed by a white light. The figure crashes into Arbok, freeing a now unconscious Chase from it's grasp. Scyther lashes out at it, but the figure is just as fast as him. It goes behind Scyther and takes it down in the same manner as Arbok. My view is fading, I can't tell the difference from up or down anymore. The last thing I see is the figure once again slamming into a now weakened Arbok.

* * *

"Oh! The Snivy's waking up!"

I open my eyes, to find myself back in Chase's hut. Lying to my left was the Staravia from the berry field, and to my right, was Chase. What happened? I look around, and see that I'm surrounded by Pokémon I remember seeing during my walk round the village.

"You three did us all a big favour back there. Not just us, but half the mountain, too!" A Pikachu calls out.

"Wha... What happened? D-Did we win?" '_Of course we did_' I think to myself. If we didn't, we'd be dead.

"Well, what do you think? You're alive aren't you?" The same Pikachu says again.

"You know those Pokémon you battled were on the 'Most wanted' list, right? It's amazing you managed to beat them!" I hear a Bidoof say.

"If they got away with all the berries, we wouldn't have any food! Nether would any of the wild Pokémon!" I can't see where this voice is coming from, but it sounds bug-like.

"Excuse me, but could you all leave now? I'm sure that he would prefer a more calm environment than this." After a moment, the Pokémon around me started to leave. Once the hut is empty, I see the Embrace Pokémon, Gardevoir, standing in the doorway.

"Well, it looks like you made a good recovery. Don't worry, you're friend is fine. He'll wake up soon. The Staravia should wake up in about a days time."

I stay silent, unsure of what to say, and wondering who this Gardevoir is.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm Gardevoir, the village medic. I help to heal injured Pokémon around these parts."

"So I take it you..." I start to say.

"Yes." Gardevoir finishes for me. "I healed you."

The Gardevoir sounds female, and her voice has a caring feel to it. I feel like I can trust her just because of her voice. Well no wonder, she's a medic. She'd probably want to keep her patients calm.

"So... How did we get out of there?" I asks, still not knowing how we're still alive.

"Well, Staravia was watching the battle from afar, when he saw that you and Chase were in trouble. I'm sure it was hard for him, with his injuries, but he managed to weaken the two outlaws. Your friend helped finish them off, just before collapsing."

I look over to Chase. He sure is tough. To be honest, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. Staravia saved us both, though. Whilst I'm thinking about this, Chase starts to fidget around, before opening his eyes. He sits up and looks around.

"What... Happened?" Chase asked. I guess it was my turn to explain.


	8. Lost In Thought

I'm lying beneath a tree, just next to the cliff, looking into yet another fantastic sunset. Even though there's a lot going on in the village behind me, I'm drowned in silence. All I can hear is the rustling of the leaves be honest, I never thought I would have to go through something like the battle with Arbok and Scyther, but strangely, I felt excited in a way. There's a first time for everything, right? I just never imagined there would be something like that to try. But I want to do it again. Fighting alongside Chase makes me feel strong. I can depend on him, and I'm sure he depends on me too. For the first time in three years,

I made a friend.

I feel at home in this world. Knowing I have a friend makes me want to stay here. But then there's my family. If I never came back, everyone I cared about in the human world would be sad because of me. I don't want to make them feel that way. Putting my family aside, what else is left for me in the human world? A daily nosebleed on the way home from school? No-one to rely on? You wouldn't exactly call that a 'Life', would you? Maybe I would be better off here. I could start anew as a Pokémon and help others. If I wanted to be anywhere, it would be here. But how _did _I get here? I just go to sleep one night and wake up as a Pokémon. Not really a usual thing to happen. I can't really think of anything to support this whole thing. Why was I brought here? I realise that I'm just asking myself the same question over and over again. I put it aside, and focus on the unforgettable view of this new world. The sun setting behind the mountains, the sea sparkling with light. And of course, the infinite forest below, with the sacred meadow in the middle, holding the Light Source. Yet another good reason to stay here.

* * *

After I explained everything Gardevoir told me, Chase seemed happy that he was able to help out the village, as well as the surrounding wilderness. Chase then asked me if I enjoyed me first battle. Not including the pain I experienced, I told him that I had never felt so alive, and that I was also glad to help. We were about to take Staravia back to his sister, but then Gardevoir said she'd take care of it. And with that, Staravia just started to float in mid-air, and followed her out the door. Chase wasn't really surprised, seeing he was probably used to Psychic-types and all, but I was stunned. I never thought I'd see something magical like that, but I have a feeling there'd be more. Me and Chase decided to go to the Kecleon Market to get some food. We brought and apple each. The Kecleon brothers gave us a discount to thank us for what we did, so we also brought an Oran berry for me to try out. It was good to finally eat, but the best part was trying the Oran berry. There is _nothing _in the human world that tasted better than this. I felt refreshed after eating it, and the juice just ignited with flavour the second it touched my tongue. I would't be able to describe it more than that, because there was nothing human to compare it to. After that, Chase left me to look around some more whilst he 'prepared a surprise for me'. And here I am still wondering what it is.

* * *

"Knew I'd find you here." I turn my head away from the view, and I see Chase. "C'mon, I've got it ready for you!" And he starts to run back to the hut. I get up and follow after him. He seemed to be excited by his own surprise, to be honest. We turn the fence and rush down the path leading through the Village. Chase arrives first, and charges through the door, almost breaking it off the hinges. He must be really excited to show me this thing. I enter the hut, and Chase is sitting down , legs neatly folded, with a piece of paper in his hands.

"Sooo, where is it?" I ask, not seeing what I'm supposed to see. Chase hands over the paper in response. I read through, and realise what it is.

"You want to form a Rescue Team with me?!"

"Yep! We both like to help Pokémon, and we both like the feeling we get when we battle. Feeling alive like that, there's plenty of it in store for a Rescue Team!" My first thought is '_So Rescue Teams are real..._' but then I realise that Chase is waiting for my opinion. My answer was clear, I wouldn't want anything else.

"Who do you think I am, Chase? This is a great idea! But..." I look down at the sheet again. "Do you have any ideas for a team name?"

"Well, I'm not that good with things like that. Anyone is better than me at deciding a team name. So I thought that maybe you could try and think up of one." This is a problem... I'm horrible with names too, but there was one thing that kept sticking to my mind. I decided it was better than nothing.

"What about... Team Skyriders?" I look at Chase, awkwardly, waiting for the comment.

"Skyriders... That's not bad actually. Yeah, Team Skyriders it is!" Oh... wow. He actually likes it. I guess I'm just used to everyone shunning my ideas back in the human world. Chase went to get a feather from a windowsill, along with a wooden bowl filled with crushed, black pigment. He writes the team name, than folds the sheet into an envelope. He then rushes out the door again, saying he'll be back in a few minuets. He was probably taking the form to the Pelipper Post Office or something along those lines. It's dark outside by now, and the light in the room is coming from a fireplace. I try to stay awake until Chase comes back, but I start to hear a noise in my head. And, like when I heard a noise in the human world, it made my feel sleepy. The noise gets louder, and I start to curl up on the straw bed the Chase made for me. Until eventually, I fall asleep.

I wake up to the sound of my alarm, and groan.

"Back in the human world..."


	9. What's Left For Me

Someone save me from this boredom.  
The teachers say that everything you learn is gonna be used someday. _When _will I have to use a bunch of letters to work out a near impossible question that has nothing to do with anything? Maths is pointless. The teacher doesn't make it any better. Here is an example of a problem she would give me:

"If Danny has 8 apples, eats one, and gives one to Max, calculate how many muscles Tetra used to walk to the park and back."

What kind of sorcery is this? And she hardly gives us time to catch up, either. I'm stuck trying to find out what _x _is, whilst she's already explaining something ten questions ahead. Well, that would mostly be my fault, but still. Give. Me. Time. All right, lady? I just want to go to sleep, wake up in the Pokémon world and go see the view from the cliff again. My mind starts to wonder after thinking about the cliff. I can picture it clearly in my mind. I then remember the battle, and I notice that my body stings all over. Not much, but only just noticeable. It felt familiar, like the poi-

"Edge! Pay attention!" The shout makes my jump out my skin, and without second thought, I reply:

"I-I was, madam."

"All right, then. Could you tell the class how to solve the the equation on the board?" Madam points to the chalkboard, which as a complicated question on question on it.

"Get up and solve it, then..." I remain seated.

"...Well?"

"I..." I start to say. "I don't know, madam. I wasn't listening."

"Detention at break, without fail." Madam replies. Well, once again,  
Crap.

* * *

I arrive home, without any trouble for once. I knock on the door, and wait for it to open.

I knock again and wait

Crap.  
I just remembered that mum told me to bring the spare keys with me to school because she wouldn't be here when I get back. But I had left them on my desk. I get out my phone, and text mum to ask her if she could come back. Once I send it, I see a light flashing through the window. I peek into the house, and see mum's phone, vibrating on the coffee table. Will this ever end? I walk back a bit, and then see that my window is open. Avast! An opportunity awaits! But one problem,  
My room is one the second floor.  
But beneath it is a frame covering the top of a first floor window. I f I could climb up on there, I would be able to climb through my window with no problem!I walk up to it, and jump. I grab on the the extended ledge, and start to pull myself up. I swing from side to side, and get my left leg on the frame to help me get up. When all of a sudden, I hear snapping. I get up as fast as I can, the snapping getting louder, and run across the frame. I jump onto the windowsill just before the roof gives in. Thank the lord. I climb through, and dump my bag on the floor. I go downstairs to take my shoes off, and then return to go on my laptop.

* * *

"I'm home!" I hear mum say, followed by the voices of 4 other siblings. "Edge?"

"Yeah?" I shout down to her.

"Could you do me a favour? I need you to take something to the post." I get off my chair, shut the laptop, and go downstairs to see what she wants me to take. I reach the bottom of the stairs, and see mum holding a cuboid shaped package.

"You do know where it is, right?" Mum asks to make sure. I nod in reply.

"Just let me get changed out of my uniform." I go back up, get changed into a stripped t-shirt and some white jogging trousers, and go to take the package.

"Make sure that you're back soon, OK? It's almost dinner."

"Got it."

* * *

I exit the post-office and start to walk down the path that would lead me home. The quickest way was a back ally, so that's where I went. But there was a problem.  
Alex and his gang was there at the end of the ally.  
I turn to take an alternative route, but one of them calls out to me, alerting the others of my presence. My walk turns into a run, and they follow after. They're quicker than me, that's a fact everyone knows. This would be over quick. I get out the back ally and enter a crowd of people, pushing past and excusing myself. The others, however, just simply barge through. I break out into another back ally and sprint as fast as I can. When all of a sudden I'm tripped over by a bicycle wheel. I fall full force on my arm. I cry out. I turn my head, and see one of Alex's thugs coming at me on another bike. He runs over my leg, making me cry out again. Then the others come along and start kicking me and stomping on me. I plea for them to stop, but they just start to kick my face now. One of them stomps on my nose, breaking it.

"Just stop, please! Why do y-" One of them kicks my mouth, shutting me up. My lower face is soaked with crimson blood by now, as well as other parts of my body aching.

"Oi, Alex. Come and help me." One of them grabs my head, and Alex grabs my feet. They lift me up, and I see one of the others opening a nearby dumpster. Were they really going to do that? We arrive, and I'm indeed hauled into to dumpster. I land on a piece of cardboard. I hear the others laughing, as the lid closes and they walk off. It reeks in here. I reach up weakly and open the lid, climb out, and start to walk home. I cover the lower part of my face under my shirt, so no-one sees the blood.

* * *

"And where have you been, young man?" Mum asks as I walk through the door. She turns away from the dinner table, and gasps as she sees what's left of my face.

"...E-Edge... What happened to you?"

"An old friend." I reply. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to take a shower."

"Tell me what happened, **now**!" Mum screams.

"Well aside from a broken nose and some lost teeth, I had a reunion with Alex."

"Alex did- OK, I'm going to take you to the hospital. Girls, I'm going to leave you with daddy, OK? I need to take Edge somewhere." Mum was talking about Adrian, a man she married after dad died. I never really liked him that much. He never took notice of me. Mum directed me out of the door and into the car. She starts it up, and starts to drive to the hospital.

* * *

We returned later that night after several hours of waiting and treatment. My nose was to get better in a few days,and I had to rest my body because of the battering I took. But hey, that means no school. I'm really tired by the time we get back, and as soon as mum opens the door, I rush up to my room, and fall flat and my bed.

"Ow."

I landed on my nose, which wasn't meant to be touched. I turn over and start to close my eyes, when I start to hear birds chirping. I was going to the Pokémon World again. My eyes shut close, and I wake up in my new body, which I'm now used to. I'm in Chase's hut once again. But my body aches. Not much to keep me down. My nose hurts a bit to.  
My nose.  
It couldn't be. It's not possible. But then I remember that moment back in Maths. The stinging was similar to Arbok's poison. But I was in my human body at the time. It's not possible unless...

The injuries I obtain in one body also affects the other.


	10. Skyriders' First Mission

First the necklace, now physical wounds? This makes no sense! There is no way that could happen. This body is probably in a different galaxy for all I know, but wounds still follow me? Things aren't getting easier for me. I'm finding questions everyday and I can't get any answers for them. It's all so confusing. I sit up, and cover my eyes from the glimmering sunlight coming through the window. I wonder what time it is... The door opens, letting more of the blinding sunlight in. After getting used to it, I see Chase standing in the doorway, holding yet another sheet in his hands.

"You're finally awake! It's almost mid-day, ya know?" Mid-day? Wow. Wait a second, it was almost mid-night when I went to sleep in the human world... That must mean time is opposite here, like the other side of the world.

"W-Why didn't you wake me up then?" I ask, to see what he has to say.

"I tried to, but you wouldn't get up! I thought that you were still recovering from the battle yesterday, so I went to- Oh, right! I forgot to show you!" Chase walks up to me, and gives me the sheet. I read through, but this time, I don't know what it is. All I can tell is that it's got something to do with our Rescue team, but it doesn't say that we've been accepted.

"They want to see if we have what it takes. See that slip attached to the sheet?" I look through again, this time noticing a slip that is indeed attached to the paper.

"It's a Rescue Job offer. Once we complete it, we send the reward back to them. Once they receive it, they'll know that we can correctly preform a rescue and accept us as a Rescue Team!" This is new. In Red and Blue Rescue Team, all you had to do was send a form or something (even though you don't see it in the game, it's just what I assume) and then you could go on Rescue missions. But a trial?

"Wait, we beat Arbok and Scyther, didn't we? Surly that should be enough!" I blurt out, remembering my first battle.

"Yeah, but we have no reward to send to them. No proof, no team. It's just the way it works." I'm slightly disappointed by this, but rules are rules, I guess. I check the slip, to see what the job is.

'Please help! I was walking in the Emerald Woods, when some bandits came out of no-where and attacked me! They took my things and I can't find my way back to Starside Town! Please, whoever is reading this, come help me!  
-Phanpy'

"Where are the Emerald Woods?"

"You know the forest surrounding the Light Source? That's the Emerald Woods. It's pretty big, but if Phanpy was smart, It'll be somewhere around the meadow. I just brought some supplies to take with us, so we're all set. You need to check anything before we go?" I shake my head, not knowing what I would need to check in the first place.

"All right, then. Let's go!"

* * *

The Emerald Woods was kind of what I expected.  
Of, course, it was a Mystery Dungeon. But it wasn't just a narrow corridor of trees. It was like a regular forest. And there weren't any stair rising into the sky, it was just a continues path. This made sense. I can only imagine a forest with different layers going on top of each other. Like a building. This is what made the game a bit stupid. But this is no game. Also, you wouldn't be able to see other Pokémon coming from a distance. Every attack was a surprise. Sure, we've got a few scratches so far, but it's nothing like the battle with Arbok and Scyther.

"We should be getting close to the Rainbow Meadow. Hopefully Phanpy _is _nearby." Chase says. He sounds worried in a way. If Phanpy wasn't near the meadow, we'd have to search the entire forest to look for it. And with the size of this place, we'd be back at Starside town sometime tomorrow. I hear rustling, and spin around to see if anything is there.

"...You hear that, Chase?" I ask.

"Hear wha- Wah!" I turn round again, to see Chase surrounded by a group of Paras. They prepare a Fury Cutter.

"Get down!" I shout out to Chase as I swing my Vine Whip at the Paras. He crouches down and my attack hits the heads of all the wild Pokémon. They go sprawling to the ground. Chase gets back up and finishes some of them off with Ember, whilst I tackle the rest unconscious.

"That was close... Come on, I think I can see the Light Source up ahead!" And with that, Chase starts to run ahead. I follow after, the sunlight giving me a boost. I almost instantly overtake him and reach the meadow first. And it was amazing. There were roses, tulips, and sunflowers all lined up in a perfect circle. The flowers become richer as they go closer to the centre. And, in the middle of the beauty, was the huge ball of light. The Light Source. It must be twice the size of me. A path cuts through the meadow and leads to the Light Source, so I start to walk up to it. Halfway down, I hear Chase call out to me.

"E-Edge! What are you doing? Get back here!" What was it? Was he being attacked? I turn round once again, but Chase is just standing there, signalling for me to come back. I rush back down the path, and ask him what was wrong.

"You can't go near the Light Source! It's a village rule! You see, the meadow around the Light Source is a holy area. The villagers believe that if you get too close to it, you'll disrupt it's activity and throw to local area into havoc!" Oh... I'm glad Chase stopped me. I wouldn't want to be the source of trouble around here.

"H-Hey! Are you an Rescue Team?" I hear a voice cry out. Chase starts to look around, and sees something in the trees.

"Hey, it's Phanpy!"

* * *

Upon returning to Starside Town, Phanpy gave us the same reward that was written on the slip, and went off the it's home. Chase was literally beaming with happiness. And he should be. His dream was finally coming true. Without another word, Chase took off for the Pelipper Post Office with the reward. I then notice that the sun is setting once again. I make my way to the cliff so I can witness the marvellous sunset once more. I traverse the village, and arrive just in time. The sun starts to set behind the mountains, casting shadows upon the Emerald Woods, the Light Source illuminating the Rainbow Meadow. The last glimps of sunlight makes the ocean sparkle. And then,  
darkness. I stay where I am for a few moments, looking into the Light Source. I always get a strange feeling when I look at it. And going close to it like I did during the mission made me feel wonderful. But in a strange way. I look at some of the scratches that I also obtained during the mission. I guess these were going to show through in the human world too. Then I realise something.  
What happens if I die here?  
Do I just wake up in the human world and I can never go back? Or do I die in both worlds? Seeing that wounds follow me from one body to the next, it might be that I die in both worlds. I'd better be careful, then. Don't want to screw everything up. My life has change pretty quickly over the past three days. I've learned to deal with pain, I made a friend, and I'm looking out for others. And for once in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere. I belong here. If the choice ever arises, I'm sure I'd stay here with Chase. I get up, and start to wonder back to the hut, with that one question stuck in my mind again...

Why was I brought here?


	11. Voices

I enter the hut, and I see Chase sitting down by a fire in the middle of the room. The smoke going through a chimney in the centre of the ceiling.

"Enjoy the sunset?" I hear Chase ask. I look over to him and nod in reply. He chuckles.

"That view's gotten pretty old for me. Especially knowing that there are better places out there."

"OK, 1: I do not know how that view can get to old for _anyone_, and 2: there can be nothing better than the cliff."

"Trust me, there are _so _many better places. Hopefully one of our missions will take us there..." There is an awkward silence. I hate things like this. I always let the person I'm speaking to talk first, but at the same time, I think that they're waiting for _me_ to say something. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Finally, Chase breaks the silence.

"Sooo, do you remember anything about you're former life yet, Edge? I mean, surly you must remember something by now." I don't know how to reply to this. Since I'm playing along, I would just have to say that I still don't remember. But I don't like lying to Chase. I guess all I can do right now is try to convince him that I'm human.

"...Chase. I-I have something to tell you. You see...well... You know when you woke me up in the forest? When we first met?" Chase nods. "Well... I didn't get there in the first place. I didn't exist here before you found me there. The thing is... I'm a human, Chase. I know I told you before, but you have to believe me. I don't know how, I don't know why, but for some reason, every time I go to sleep in the human world, I wake up here."

"W-What?! Y-You mean...like a dream? Then..am I just a piece of your imagination?" Chase looks worried. Great, I've made him doubt his own existence.

"No no no no, this is all real! You remember that morning when there was dry blood under my nose?" Chase nods again. "Well, in the human world, during the day, someone punched me and I had a nosebleed. The only explanation would be that wounds I obtain in one body also affects the other. And before I go to sleep, I sometimes hear your voice and it makes me feel sleepy. This might mean that if something is trying to wake me up, I fall asleep in the human world and wake up here, and vice-versa." Chase looks more shocked than worried now.

"W-Wait a second, you said someone was hitting you? Who would hit you, Edge?" Chase asks me, obviously looking out for me.

"Let's just say I don't have the best of lives in the human world. Oh, and also, I think serious wounds are an exception. Yesterday in the human world, my nose was broken by the same person. But when I woke up here, all I had was an ache."

"A broken nose?! Why would this human do this to you?" Chase asks yet again.

"It's nothing you can handle. Besides, he's probably gonna get punished for assaulting me."

"...Is there anything else I should know?"

"No. I've told you everything." There is yet another silence.

"I...I never imagined that an ordinary looking Pokémon like you could actually be a human. And my best friend, no less."

"I know it's a bit strange for me to say this now, but we should get to sle-" I'm interrupted by the sound of beeping in my head.

"W-What's up?"

"It's my alarm back in the human world. Time for me to wake up. But don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow morning. There's no way I would leave you." The beeping gets louder. "Night... Chase..." And with that, I lose consciousness.

* * *

I open my eyes, expecting to find myself in my room, but instead:  
I find myself in that same darkness as when I first came to the Pokémon world.  
There is yet again a light in the distance, I approach it, but don't go through. There is a voice emanating from it, and I wait to see what it has to say.

"The D-ess i- -till clea-ng. I h-e y-u can he- -at I'm s-in- -ght no-" I can't make out anything the voice says. The light gets brighter, and I start to hear my alarm again. The voice continues to speak gibberish, sounding somewhat desperate now. As the light engulfs me, I can no longer hear the voice. And I wake up in my room. It takes me a second to realise where I am. When I do, I get out of bed and turn the alarm off. Typical me, I forgot to turn it off last night. I climb back into bed, minding my nose, and I prepare for another hour's sleep.

What was that voice?


	12. Those Who Care

I wake up at 8:30 to the sound of mum shouting over the phone.

"I don't care if the bill is cheap or not! Your child assaulted my son and YOU are going to pay for it!" There she goes again. She is _so _overprotective, that's why I never want her to find out about things like this. She'll always go and call them and make the parents punish the kid who attacked me or pay for any bills that they caused, like my broken nose.

"YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE! If you don't come over here with the money, then I'll sue you for it!" I hear mum slam the phone down, ending the call. I get out of bed, get changed into my clothes, and go downstairs.

"You really didn't have to do that, mum. I don't even care, it'll just get better on it's own." I tell her.

"How long has Alex been doing this to you?" She asks in reply.

"Mum, it doesn't mat-"

"Edge. _How long has Alex been doing this_?" She asks again. I can tell she's going to explode at me if I don't tell her.

"...Ever since I started secondary school." I answer.

"Wha- Edge! Why didn't you tell me?! This has been happening for almost a year now!"

"I don't tell you because you always react like this! Besides, I'm nearly a teenager now. I can handle my own problems."

"Edge, I'll never care how old you are, I'll always be there for you. Yes, I may react like this, but that's because I want the best for you. Happy people are the most successful, right? So if you're not happy, then how will you start you video game company?" I've never mentioned this, but my dream in life is to found a video game company. I'm gonna call it Beacon. And for the past 6 months, I've been saving up for the best engine I know: Unity 3D Pro. I'll start with an Indie horror game, then an official project, then just carry on from there. I don't know if this is a good strategy or not, but hey, I'm only twelve. I shrug my shoulders to mums question, not knowing how to answer.

"Listen, Alex's mum will be over soon, hopefully with the money for the hospital bill. Yes I know it was cheap, but Alex did this. It wouldn't be fair if I had to pay for something he did to you. Don't you agree?" I nod.

"OK, then. Go and have breakfast." And mum walks into the living room, preparing a cigarette. I go into the kitchen and pull out some bread from the cupboard, followed by some jam. I get a knife out the drawer, put the bread in the toaster, and wait. I think about the dream whilst I do. First off, what was that voice? I could hardly make out anything it was saying. And why do I always find myself in that dark space? Is it just a place between the two worlds? Like a gateway or something? I then remember the injury issue. I pull up my shirt, to see a faded bite mark on my chest. This would have taken weeks to heal up without Gardevoir's healing. But, seeing it was a serious injury, it only left a faint remnant of it. The toast pops out of the toaster, the sudden noise making me jump out my skin. I take it out, and spread the jam over it. I then go into the dining room to enjoy my breakfast.

* * *

12:30, and the power's gone out. I'm reading a book from one of my favourite authors, Darren Shan, when I get an idea. I close the book and go up to my room, with a piece of paper in hand. I clear my desk, and get some pencils. I sit back down, and picture the view from the cliff. I can remember it as clear as day. I place my pencil down, and start to draw. I just keep the view in my mind, thinking it's already on the paper, and I just go over it again. About forty-five minuets later, I've drawn a perfect copy. A few mistakes here and there, but still quite good. Now for the colouring. I combine yellow and orange for the sunset, use different shades of green and blue for the forest and ocean, and a dark grey from the mountains. I also colour the meadow in the perfect order the colours go in. And of course, I add the luminous glow of the Light Source. After I've finished, I look at my creation. I might as well go over there and look at it myself. This is the best thing I've drawn in my life. I tug my necklace.

"You see this, dad? This world is amazing. I wonder if you follow me over there as well, seeing I still have the necklace and all." My vision blurs as tears start to fill my eyes.

"...Dad...Why did you die? Why did you leave me here...?  
Why did you jump?"

* * *

1:45, knocking on the door. It's Bethany, Alex's mother. I hear her talking to mum for a bit, and then the door shuts again. Mum calls me down.

"That was Alex's mum just now. She gave me the money and said that she'd punish Alex. Does that make you feel better?" I shrug. I still think of Alex as a friend, seeing we had good times together, so I didn't really want him to get punished. I just hope it's not that bad for him.

"OK, the-" Mum is interrupted by the flickering of the light. The power was back.

"OK, then..." Mum repeats. "If you feel better, then I guess we should just put it behind us."

"Mum, I've been trying to do that since yesterday. You just keep bringing it up again." I say with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry for being me..." Mum pulls a mocking sad face.

"Come on, mum. You know I don't mean it that way." I say sarcasticly. Mum smiles, and then walks off to continue her online shopping. I go back upstairs to go and play Portal.

* * *

Oh my god, I've finally made it to the final chamber. I've almost finished the game! At long last! GLaDOS does her speech about this being my final resting place or something like that. I'm not paying attention. Just want to finish this off. Something drops off of GlaDOS, and I have no clue what to do with it for a second. Then is see a sort of control room the the side. I portal over there, and see a button, which I press. I see an incinerator open, and I know what I have to to. I portal over quickly, and drop the sphere into it. GLaDOS speaks again, and epic music starts to play. I chuckle as a thought comes into mind:

"It's time..."

I get the hang of the battle quickly. I just make a missile hit GLaDOS, she drops a 'Core' and I just have to incinerate it. I'm on the last core by now, and I'm about to drop it in and finish the game. When all of a sudden, everything goes white.

"The darkness is still clearing. I hope you ca- -ear m-"

My vision returns, and I see the incinerator closed. That voice... was that the same voice I heard before I woke up? The darkness is still clearing... What does that mean? Darkness? It said something after, but I didn't catch all of it. I hope you can ear me? No, _hear _me. '_The darkness is still clearing. I hope you can hear me._' Who is that voice? And why did it come to me n- I look at the screen of my laptop, and see that the timer has almost been depleted.

"No no no no no no!" I say, as I go back to open the incinerator. I swear, this game can just wipe my mind clean sometimes.

* * *

Dinner time, and that phrase is stuck in my mind, now. I sit quietly, eating my spaghetti, whilst my four younger siblings are blabbering on about everything that isn't really appropriate to talk about at the table. Man, I hope I wasn't like this when _I _was young.

"It's not fair that Edge got to stay behind, today! I bet he asked that boy to hurt him!" Sophie, my eldest sibling says.

"You really think I'm stupid enough to do that? If I asked them the hurt me, I'd be dead, Soph."

"I'll ask my friend to hurt me, then I won't have to go to school, either!"

"Oh, Sophie! Don't say things like that!" Mum shouts.

"Take it easy, mum. Even she's not that stupid." I tell her.

"What are you trying to say there, Edge?" Sophie replies.

"He's trying to say that you're stupid!" Amanda, my second eldest sibling says. She laughs like a psychopath.

"...Amanda, could you try and laugh a bit more calmly next time? It's really starting to freak me out." She continues to laugh. I'm just glad I don't listen to this whilst I'm trying to get to sleep. I finish my spaghetti, and take my bowl into the kitchen. After a drink of water, I return upstairs to check my G+.

* * *

Time to sleep. I'm kind of glad. It means I can go and see Chase again. Normally I would have stayed on my laptop for longer, but now I rush to get ready and instantly find myself under the covers of my bed. I turn off my night light, and drift into sleep. I have a good family in the human world. It's one of the things that keeps me going. So if I do have to pick, I be really stuck. Family, or friends? There's this saying: '_Blood is thicker than water_' Meaning that family are more important that friends. But Chase really puts his faith in me, and so do I in him. If I left him, he would be crushed. I don't want to make him feel that way. But I don't want to make my family sad either. I just leave it be. After all, I don't have to pick _yet_. And hopefully I never have to. I close my eyes and go to sleep.

"Good morning, Chase..."


	13. Spirit Shards

I wake up in Chase's hut, now a usual thing for me. I look out the window, and see that it's still a bit dark outside. I see a faint glow in the sky. Maybe I could go and see the sunrise. I get up, and walk carefully past the sleeping Chase. Opening the door, I look back at him, and I try to hide a laugh. He's making this weird snoring noise. I walk away quickly before I burst out laughing and wake him up, along with some of Starside Town. The cliff as already occupied by gathering Pokémon from the village. I guess their all here to see the sunrise. I go to my favourite spot under the tree, and watch the sun emerge from the mountains. It wasn't any different from the sunset, but it still made me feel good. Once the sun is up, the Pokémon start to leave. I get up and head back to the hut and wait for Chase to wake up. Some of the Pokémon say good morning to me, and I reply with the same phrase. I still didn't know many of these Pokémon, so small talk is all I can manage at the moment. I open the door, and see that Chase is already up.

"Oh. Hey there, Edge! Where were you?" Chase asks me.

"I went and saw the sunrise There were more Pokémon there than in the evening. Why is that?"

"Well, when the Pokémon here get up before sunrise, they go over to the cliff. They say that watching the sunrise fills them with energy and helps them get ready for the day."

"Wow. This cliff has more too it then I thought." I say with a smile. "Anything else I need to know about it?"

"Not that I know of... Yeah, you pretty much know everything there is to know." We both smile.

"Well then, let's go and pick out our- Oh, wait! I forgot to check if we were accepted as a Rescue Team! I'll go check the- Wait, do we have a mail box?" I ask, a bit over-excited to see if we were accepted. All of the question just came blurting out my mouth. I can remember the last time I felt so happy.

"Of course we do! Don't tell me you never noticed it!" Chase answers, surprised at me in a way.

"OK then, I'm gonna go check if we were accepted." And I walk out the door once again. I look around, and this time I see a mail box. I go over and open it up, and there is a slip of paper inside. I take it out and rush back inside.

"Here it is. You excited?" I ask Chase as I walk in.

"Who do you think I am? This has been my dream for as long as I can remember!"

"All right, then..." I open up the sheet and read through.

"...Well? Are we a Rescue Team?" I stay silent, looking at the result.

"...Oh... B-But why? We did the mission! So why-"

"I never said anything." I look over to Chase.

"We're a Rescue Team!"

* * *

After our celebration at the hut, we went over to the notice board to look for any missions. I pick one out, and show it to Chase.

"...A D rank right off the bat?" Chase says, unsure weather or not to accept.

"Come on, we beat Arbok and Scyther, right? This'll be easy!" I reply, trying to lift his spirits.

"Yeah, you're right! If we beat those outlaws, a D rank mission will be a piece of cake!"

"OK, then, let's go for it!" I see the flame on Chase's rear end grow brighter and brighter. I think I did a good job in getting is spirits up. Anyway, here's what the job offer said:

'Hello, friendly Rescue Team! A while ago, I lost my prised possession, a Spirit Shard, somewhere in the caves near Mountainside Trail. Today I went looking for it, but I was attacked by wild Pokémon and got lost! Please, if you can, come and find me and help me search for my Spirit Shard!  
-Clefairy'

"Mountainside Trail is where I woke up, right?" I ask Chase, just to be sure.

"Yep, that's right. Oh, by the way, Spirit Shards are said to contain the souls of Pokémon that have passed away. But it's actually a good luck charm. If you're lucky enough, you'll get the spirits blessing and it'll help you out! Sounds cool, right?"

"You bet! Anyway, let's get going."

* * *

We came up the the path that split in two. Instead of going up the mountain, where the berry field was, we carried on _across _the mountain. Later, we found ourselves in front of a mouth of a cave.

"Clefairy must be in here somewhere..." Chase says. He looks inside.

"Man, I can't see a thing in there! My flame will be the only source of light, but it won't exactly light up our path. Guess we just have to take it slow and steady."

"Seems like our only option. And we won't have a strong point in battle either. This is gonna be harder than I thought." We go inside, Chase's flame barely lighting anything. After about fifteen minuets of wandering aimlessly in pitch black, we hear a loud gushing noise. Like a river or something. It must be nearby.

"Is that... Water?" Chase asks.

"It must be." I answer. "Let's just stay away from where the sound is coming from. We wouldn't wanna fall in, would we?" As soon as I finish saying this, I hear rocks tumbling.

"W-What's that?" Chase says, now sounding slightly frightened.

"...There's something here with u-" I'm interrupted by a rock-hard fist slamming into my face. I go sprawling to the ground.

"Wha- Edge! Are you-"

"Chase, use Ember! Light up the room!" I tell him, still trying to get up. He does as I say, and the heat from the attack warms me up. I look over, and I see a group of five Geodude. The flame dies away, leaving us in pitch black again. I hear something fall to the ground beside me.

"Chase! You OK?!" Chase gets up.

"I'm fine, now let's take these guys down!" I get up, wiping a few drops of blood from my mouth.

"Right!"

* * *

I go down to the ground once again.

"Urg! These last two are impossible!" I say, getting up. We had already taken down three other Geodude, but these last two were obviously hell-bent on making sure we get punished for entering their territory.

"Wah! E-Edge, help!" I look over to Chase's dim light, only to see it... emanating from the ground? On closer inspection, I can see Chase's hands clinging onto a rock.

"Edge! It's the river! It's right here!" Oh god no. I run over as quick as I can, but one of the Geodude punches me again. I go sprawling over the edge and start to fall into the abyss. I try to grab a stone with my vines, but it's too slippery. Chase grabs hold, but loses his grip. We both fall into the river below.  
The current is amazingly strong. I can't tell the difference between up or down. I'm running out of air, and Chase's flame had been extinguished. I can't die just now. The current dies down a bit, and I manage to surface. The room is lit with a blue haze.

"Chase? Where a-" The current drags me underwater again. I swim back up. "You here, Chase?!" I hear a splash. I look over, and see Chase's ember-shaped hair.

"Edge?" He calls out. I swim over to him. "Oh, thank Arceus you're OK."

"...Where are we now?" I ask, looking over at the blue haze.

"Hey, there's a mound of earth there. Let's get out of this water. I'm freezing without my flame." We swim over to the island, and the second we get out the water, Chase's flame is re-ignited.

"Hey... aren't those Spirit Shards over there?" Chase asks. I look over, and see the there are several crystal like objects producing the haze.

"Yeah, they are! I've never seen so many in one place! There's a mountain of them!" Chase rushes over, when I start to hear another voice in my mind.

"(Can...Can any of you hear me? Please tell me one of you is human.)" What did that voice just say?! I-I'm human!

"(Oh, you! The Snivy! Can you hear me?!)" I nod in a random direction, not knowing where the voice is coming from.

"(Yes! Look over to the Spirit Shards. Can you see one glowing red?)" The voice says. I look over, and this time I notice a red glow around a smaller shard.

"(Please, go and touch it! I've been waiting here forver for a human to come by!)"

"Hey, Chase... Can you hear a voice?" I ask.

"Nope. Why do you ask? Can you hear a voice?"

"No no, it's nothing, sorry" I say, walking over to the shard. I reach down and pick it up. Nothing happens for a second. But then...  
Everything goes white again.


	14. Crystal

"So, what's your name?"

My vision returns, and I see a figure of a girl fade in from the white background. She has chestnut brown hair, with a grey vest and peach trousers. Kind of like Lara Croft.

"Y-You're a human too? What are you doing here?" I ask the girl.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm a Pokemon too! I thought Snivy were s'posed to be smart!" The girl sounds Canadian, or American. I can't tell.

"Anyway, you're name?" She asks again.

"Oh...Sorry. My name is Edge. And you?"

"Name's Crystal. Nice to meet you Edge!" There is a brief silence, which I, for once, break.

"Wait, Spirit Shards are inhabited by souls of the dead right? So does that mean...?"

"Yup, I'm dead in both worlds. I died in the human world first, though."

"First?" I ask Crystal.

"If you die in one world, you live on in the next. Didn't you know that?" She answers.

"No...I didn't... I don't want to sound rude or anything, but how did you die exactly?"

"My human form was burnt in a house fire whilst I was awake in the Pokemon world, and my Pokemon form was trapped under ice by a Sneasel. Lucky for me, I didn't feel the pain of being burnt alive."

"Y-You were drowned? How could you end up in a situation like that?"

"How else? The Sneasel was an outlaw. It's a Rescue Team's job the apprehend outlaws, isn't it?"

"You...were in a Rescue Team too? Who with?"

"Oh, nobody. You don't need a partner to sign up as on, ya know?"

"But...the more, the merrier, right?"

"Well, I wanted to have a partner, but I couldn't find anyone who wanted to help me out."

"That's a shame... I'd hate to die alone the way you did."

"Actually, there's a way I can come back now that another human has found me..."

"What, you mean like back from the dead?!"

"What else? Really, I'm surprised that your personality lead you to be a Snivy! You know hardly anything!"

"Well...I mean...Bringing someone back from the dead...That's something that would only happen in fantasy stories or something like that!"

"Edge, we're in a world inhabited by Pokemon. Is that not your idea of a fantasy?" I stay silent. Reviving someone from the _dead_? That's just...I can't even put it into words. It's just totally crazy! But I remember saying myself after seeing Gardevoir levitate Staravia:

'I'm bound to see thing more magical than this.'

I just never imagine it would go as far as breaking the boundaries of life and death.

"Sooo, how _do _we bring you back?" I ask, accepting the fact I was about to revive the dead.

"First off, we dig up my body." Oh great. Now I'm gonna have to deal with rotting corpses.

"I know what you're thinking. In fact, even though I've been dead for almost 6 months now, my body will still be intact. Thanks to my spirit of light."

"Spirit of light?" I ask.

"In order for you to be chosen, you need to either have a spirit of light or darkness. If you have a spirit of light, you're body can withstand decay for nearly 5 years. Spirit of darkness, you start to decay almost instantly. No spirit, you decay at a normal rate."

"Wait, wait, wait...Chosen by who?"

"Oh, so he hasn't visited you yet? If you have a spirit of light, Arceus will call you to this world in times of need."

"Arceus?! What, so a god brought me here? A god chose _me_?"

"He didn't _chose _you, he just picked you out at random. And it's the same with Darkrai. If you have a soul of darkness, he'll also call you to this world, but just to do his dirty business. At random also."

"Wait, you said humans are called to this world in times of need. Does that mean something is about to happen?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I heard something about the Light Sources disappearing. Only Darkrai and his human turned minions can get rid of them. You may have been called here to protect the Light Sources."

"Hmm...OK then, back to the subject, how do we bring you back?"

"Yeah, sorry. First, like I said, dig up my body. Second, make the Spirit Shard we're in now come in contact with my body. Third, watch as my spirit flows back into my body. Simple as!" Wow. Seeing we're bending life and death, this _is _quite simple.

"Wait, where were you buried? You never said."

"Oh, right. You know the mountains behind Emerald Woods? Well there should be a village somewhere in there. That's where my body is." Travers the Emerald Woods?! That'll take a day! And trying to find a village in the middle of a mountain range is gonna be even harder. We'd be back in Starside Town within three or four days! But, Crystal obviously trusts me to bring her back, and plus, I'll have Chase with me. Nothings as bad as it seems when you've got a friend like him beside you. I nod to Crystal.

"Sure, I'll go there. I'll bring you back, Crystal!"

"Really? Yes! Thank you so much, Edge!" Crystal started to jump on the spot, clapping her hands rapidly. I used to do this when I was excited.

"It's the least I could do."

"All right, seeing you'll bring me back to life, I'll help you out with your current mission!"

"R-Really?"

"Well, like you just said, it's the least I could do!" As she says this, my vision starts to fade into the white background again. I lose sight of Crystal, and open my eyes to find myself back in the cave full of Spirit Shards.

"Edge, we've made a discovery! No-one knew about all these Spirit Shards!"

I look down at my leaf-like arms. Man, I've gotten so used to my body now, I almost forgot that I was a Snivy. But at least i understand a bit more about what's happening to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a red sparkle. I look over to see a trail of red, mystic lights trailing of deeper into the cave.  
Thanks Crystal.

"Hey, Chase, I think I've found a way out of here." I tell him. He looks over and sees the entrance to another corridor. He doesn't seem to be looking at the lights. I guess he doesn't have a spirit of light, then.

"Oh, nice one Edge! Hang on, let me take a Spirit Shard too." Chase goes back to the hill of shards and picks one out.

"All right, let's go find Clefairy!" As we walk over to the entrance of the corridor, I hear Crystal's voice coming from the Spirit Shard.

"(I'm a Skitty, by the way.)"


End file.
